Yayapour, 70, said he believes things have gotten much worse today.
"You should see all the body bags in the street. You look at it, and your heart breaks. What's going on?" he said. "Women had much rights, OK? Nobody was forcing them to wear the hijab. It's religious, but nobody forced it. People did it because they wanted to. Today, the government forces it."
Government clashes in Iran prompt candlelight vigil in Raleigh
He has not heard from his family and friends who still live in Iran in weeks. Yahyapour did not show ABC11 their photos out of an abundance of caution for their safety.
He said the people of Iran are fed up with the government, from the lack of basic human rights to an ailing economy with price hikes. There have been many demonstrations across the globe in response to this.
Yahyapour organized a candlelight vigil to stand in solidarity with the people of Iran. He said many of them lost their lives.
"We need some outside of the country help, like from the United States and European help. We need to get out there to help the people of Iran. They cannot do it themselves," he said.
On Friday night, members of the Triangle's Iranian Community stood on the steps of the Wake County Courthouse to remember the thousands of lives lost fighting for freedom in antigovernment protest.
Through tears, 74-year-old John Chaffee called for an end to violence against peaceful demonstrators who he said are fighting for basic human rights.
"To make the government to be a better, more democratic, have freedom for people," Chaffee said.
Maria Thoenen has lived in Raleigh since fleeing at the start of the Iranian revolution.
"It's very sad. The way they're taking machine guns in the streets of people," she said. "We have like a big group together and now nothing, nothing comes out of there, and we have no idea who is OK, who's not, and what's happening in the street."
She doesn't know whether relatives in Iran are safe.
"You can't imagine the poverty, the lack of freedom, jobs," she said.
Dara Ehtesham echoed those same frustrations.
"I've got cousins, I've got uncles, I have elderly relatives with dementia. Are they getting their care? Are nurses able to come to them to give them the care they need at home? Do they have power? Do they have water?" she said. "These are questions that are just aren't answered because the contacts been so sparse."
Vigil attendees also called on help from President Donald Trump.
"Some people are calling on President Trump to act because anything that, that outside forces can do to stop the effort to counter the jamming, to counter the blackout, to help us get the word out, to help communities continue to organize, is, you know, ... any little help would be appreciated," Ehtesham said.
Trump has previously posted that help is on the way in regard to the Iranian protesters.
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